HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The two sides in the dispute over the Star Market property on Bailey Cove Road have until July 25 to submit arguments on how the case should be decided by Madison County Circuit Judge Chris Comer.

The case pits the property's owners John and James Hays against Star Market. The Hays' claim Star failed to renew its lease before Jan. 1, 2013 and should be evicted from the property. Star's attorneys argue the renewal notice was submitted in September 2012 and the market has a valid five-year lease.

A one-day trial was held before Comer on June 30. Comer's order Friday directs both sides to submit their proposed "findings of fact and judgment of law" by July 25.

The case began last year after Star Market filed a lawsuit to block a proposed eviction by the Hays brothers. The eviction notice was sent in late April and gave the market a month to vacate the property. The market's location at the intersection of Bailey Cove and Weatherly Road has been the site of a number of different grocery stores over the years.

During the June 30 trial Star Market's attorney Berton Spence argued the lease renewal notice was sent in September 2012 to a South Memorial Parkway address that is listed on the "ground lease" which controls the property. Spence argued UPS records show the renewal notice was received and signed for.

But the property's co-owners James and John Hays both testified they never received a lease renewal from Star Market before Jan. 1, 2013 and considered the lease "over," in the words of John Hays.

He sent a letter in late April 2013 notifying Star Market that it had failed to renew its lease by the end of 2012, and Star had been converted to a month-to-month tenant. The letter said Star had until the end of May to vacate the premises at 9020 Bailey Cove.

Star claims the Hays' were notified by letter in September 2012 that Star was exercising the lease renewal for five years. The letter came from the third-party company, ABNK Properties, which was then involved in the property.

But the Hays' attorneys Allen Anderson and Ryan Blount argued the notice was defective because it was sent to a Memorial Parkway office address the Hays' had stopped using as their base of operations about seven years earlier.

The Hays brothers and Mitzi Robinson, their business manager, all testified they never saw the lease renewal notice.

Star's attorney Spence asked each of them to provide a document that showed the lease renewal was supposed to be sent to an address other than the original ground lease. The witnesses couldn't, but they pointed to an earlier letter sent to a previous tenant asking that the new address be used. They also noted that rent checks and other letters were routinely sent to their 10000 block Memorial Parkway office.

Under questioning from Comer John Hays testified their current office is less than a mile away from the previous office. Comer also asked who owned the building that housed their former office and was now used by other companies. Hays said it was owned by a corporate trust the Hays' had set up for their children.

Testimony from the Hays' also showed that Star didn't pay its rent for November and December and January until it was demanded by them in February of 2013. John Hays testified the rent wasn't being paid, they hadn't received a renewal notice and the store's shelves weren't stocked, so they assumed the lease had been given. A check for the four months was sent later in February, according to testimony.

Star's attorney argued that following the receipt of that check, the Hays' business manager Robinson sent an email to the third-party property manager working with Star. That email noted the check had been received and "the lease is now up to date."

Robinson denied during cross-examination that the email meant she was confirming a lease renewal. She testified it was just a discussion over payment of rent.